Porcelain Crowns

Porcelain crowns are a type of dental crowns made entirely of porcelain material. They are the most popular kind of dental crown today because they provide the best and most natural look, and match the color, size, and shape of your surrounding teeth. Porcelain crowns also protect the tooth and provide a strong, long-lasting functional replacement for a natural tooth.

Before getting to the benefits of choosing a porcelain crown, you must understand why one needs a dental crown in the first place. Essentially, dental crowns serve the purpose of restoring the look and function of a damaged tooth. The damage can range from a small decay to a big crack in the tooth or even a visible filling. Dental crowns are also suggested to cover an implant. Sometimes, dentists even advise dental crowns for just aligning a person’s teeth and to make their smile look more appealing. Many people nowadays opt for dental crowns for aesthetic purposes.

• Gold Crowns: Made from a combination of metals, gold crowns are extremely strong and durable. They aren’t popular nowadays because they look very odd and people don’t want the extra attention drawn to a gold tooth in their mouth. 
• Porcelain Crowns: The most popular dental crowns made of porcelain material, these are your best choice if you need a front tooth restoration. There is no metal used in porcelain crowns, and yet they are strong, functional, and the most natural-looking. 
• Porcelain-fused-to-metal Crowns: The metal on the inside provides durability and strength and the porcelain on the outside provides good aesthetics and a natural look. 
• Zirconia Crowns: Made of zirconium, which is a fairly new material, these dental crowns look natural and good, and provide the strength and durability needed. They are slowly growing to be more popular.

Any dental crown can fix your tooth and make it functional, but it is only porcelain crowns that restore them to their full natural appearance. They match the exact color, size, aesthetics, and shape of the rest of your teeth so that you can have a fully aligned and beautiful smile. 

If you have recently suffered an injury in the jaw or teeth, have crooked teeth, or just want to protect your tooth after a root canal, a porcelain crown will be your best option. Especially, if your damage is in the front teeth, porcelain crowns are highly suggested.

Usually, the procedure of getting porcelain crowns to take two visits to the dentist. 

• The first visit:

During the first visit, the tooth that is going to get the porcelain crown on it gets prepared. An x-ray is taken to examine the tooth structure. Then, the dentist will file down the tooth across the top and sides using a dental drill to make space for the crown to fit. In the situation that too much of the tooth is missing due to decay, the dentist uses a filling material to build up the tooth for the crown to fit onto it. 
Once the tooth is reshaped for the crown, the dentist will take the impression of the tooth using a paste. The impressions of the surrounding teeth are also taken for the perfect fit. These impressions are then sent to a laboratory to make the porcelain crown, which can take anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks. During these weeks, your dentist will give you a temporary crown to wear, which helps cover and protect the reshaped tooth. 

• The second visit:

During the second visit, the temporary crown is removed. The dentist first checks if the reshaped tooth is all good and there aren’t any issues. Once they make sure everything is in good shape with the tooth, they check the aesthetic and size of the porcelain crown. If that’s a perfect fit, the dentist goes on to numb your tooth with a local anesthetic. Then, the porcelain crown is permanently cemented in place.

Porcelain crowns are usually the best option if you need a dental crown. They look great, are strong and durable, and provide proper functionality as well. But there are some problems you can face with them. As they are not as strong as metal crowns, they can chip away or break after some years, if not taken care of. If you take proper care of your crown, it can last up to 15-20 years on average. Some people have even reported their porcelain crowns lasting for up to 25-30 years due to great care. 

Apart from that, there aren’t many problems that porcelain crowns can bring up. Since no metal is used in them, there is no risk of infection either. 

Dental RI provides you with excellent-quality porcelain crowns. With the help of skillful dentists and efficient treatments, you will certainly have a great patient experience here. Getting a dental crown is a big decision. It is essential to take in all the factors and make an informed decision. Our dentists at Dental RI will help you discuss your options and advise you on whatever is in the best interest for your dental health.